Riverside pitcher Will Hibbard (13) throws to the plate against Jordan during the third inning, at Riverside.
The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas

Riverside's Cory Crabtree (L) tags out Jordan Will Hoyle on an attempted steal of second base during the second inning at Riverside.
The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas

DURHAM —

Riverside has been unbeatable in the 4-A PAC-6 and on Friday against struggling Jordan was nearly unhittable with Pirates southpaw Will Hibbard combining with reliever Blake Morgan on a one-hitter in a 5-0 home win.

Hibbard fanned 10 Falcons over five innings. The senior was working it.

“They did a good job of pitching against us,” Bell said. “The bottom line is when you get people on (base), you’re going to have to do something to get them moving. It’s been part of our struggle this year.”

Riverside was the PAC-6 champ a year ago and is the team to beat this time around despite losing three players from last season’s squad. The Pirates challenged themselves to rule the PAC-6 one more time, Riverside coach Doug Simmons said.

“It’s kind of an expectation of winning right now, and they’ve responded,” Simmons said.

Plain and simple, the Pirates played winning baseball against the Falcons, Simmons said.

“We threw strikes, we didn’t walk ’em and we competed in the strike zone,” Simmons said.

Riverside competed at the plate, too.

In the bottom of the third, Riverside’s Ben Huffman doubled for the first hit of the game. Morgan brought him home to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Cory Crabtree beat a throw to first, allowing Kory Behenna to score.

In the fifth, Riverside’s Micah Goodwin crushed a pitch to center field that gave John Mumford some trouble. Goodwin kept working the base paths, legged out a triple and was driven in by Morgan.

Morgan relieved Hibbard in the sixth, striking out the first three batters he faced and allowing no hits.

Jordan is in an unusual spot. The Falcons traditionally have been the team to beat in the PAC-6.

“We’ve been blessed for about eight to 10 years,” Bell said.

The pipeline of talent from Durham’s middle schools to Jordan hasn’t been so great lately, Bell said. The Falcons are trying hard, but they’re young and it’s just going to take some time for them to get right, Bell said.